Sulfur composite cathode materials: comparative characterization of polyacrylonitrile precursor

The electrochemical behavior of the sulfur composite cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries and the characteristic of the polyacrylonitrile precursor were investigated. The samples of different polyacrylonitrile precursors were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic response, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and differential scanning calorimetry. The electrochemical performance of the sulfur composite cathode material made from the polyacrylonitrile precursor was also tested. The analysis showed that the molecular weight distribution and the impurity of the polyacrylonitrile precursor affected the electrochemical performance of the sulfur composite cathode material made from the precursor. The polyacrylonitrile precursor with the narrower distribution of the molecular weight and the higher structural purity of the polyacrylonitrile precursor led the better electrochemical performance of the sulfur composite cathode material made from the precursor.